thoughtnot

Some of you may recall my entry back in early March (’04) titled All You Can Eat. In that post, I outlined a problem I had with overeating and controlling my weight. Since 1994, I have slowly grown from 190lbs to roughly 260lbs. I was way overweight, miserable, and tired. I couldn’t stand it that my once-strong body was running out of steam by climbing a simple flight of stairs. My belly was in the way of my health, and my happiness.

This update is to let everyone know that things are changing for the better.

BACKGROUND
Not long after writing, I got really fed up (no pun intended). I was tired of losing my breath just trying to tie my shoes. I had tried pure exercise, and it didn’t work. I had tried pure dieting, and it didn’t work. At the time, I knew several people who were “doing Atkins”. And although I had been pretty firmly against “fad dieting”, I could tell it was working for them. Was it really so bad?

THE PLAN
I consider myself to be an informed individual, but I’m also somewhat spontaneous. In the span of one morning, I read up on the foundations of the Atkins diet and started the induction phase. It was difficult at first, and a lot of food at home went to waste because I had not planned this little adventure.

Primarily, I cut out regular soft-drinks, starches, breads, rice, pasta, and most sugars from my diet. I did not cut caffeine because, well, you’ve got to have at least once vice, right? In my first week (or so), I lost 10lbs - dropping from a high of 255 on my scales at home, to 245 (FYI, our scales a home weigh around 10lbs light).

Of course, I also consider myself to be an independent person. I didn’t (and still don’t) believe that one “diet” can fit every person. So after a week or so of the “induction phase”, I knew there was NO WAY I could maintain that diet. A person has to eat more than just meat and cheese!

My current school of thought is that “low carb” is better than “500x more than you need” carbs, and that portion sizes are important. It is unbelievable how many carbohydrates some things (like pasta) contain. And what a normal person generally consumes as a portion (or what is packaged as one meal), like a small bag of chips, actually contains 3-5 “servings”.

Once I got that in my head, I developed a new plan, to which I mostly still adhere. My plan is similar to the “South Beach” diet, although I have not read up on that. The idea is that “natural” carbohydrates - those included by nature - are okay. You shouldn’t overindulge, but eating normal portions of healthy things like broccoli and carrots will not impede progress. On the converse side, eating lots “refined” man-made products such as bagels and chips is a no-no.

THE PATH
Unlike the Atkins diet, I allow myself occasional “guilty pleasures”. Having pizza, ice cream, or even McDonalds is okay as long as it does not become a weekly ritual. When dining out, I DO try to make healthier choices, such as salad instead of fries. The choice is sometimes difficult, but is becoming more natural. I don’t consider doing this to be detrimental to the diet, because it really serves to keep me on track. I don’t get bored, I get what I crave, and then I get back on track. Every few weeks I re-visit the induction phase. By throttling back the carbs for a few days, I can “jumpstart” my metabolism. Either way I’m losing weight, but I have found this provides a boost.

THE RESULTS
The results of this diet, along with a bit more walking, have been good for me. I have now lost 40 pounds (I’m currently at 215), and feel much better. I have dropped pant sizes, and can once again wear my XL shirts instead of XXL. I can also once again tie my shoes and play with my kids and not run out of breath. Even my wedding ring fits better.

THE FUTURE
I’ve made a lot of progress, but I’m still not done. My goal by Christmas is to be at 200lbs., and considering I’ve lost 40lbs in 6 months I don’t think losing another 15lbs in 4 months is too ambitious. I also want to continue to increase my overall amount of fitness. I am walking more regularly and have begun light weightlifting to tone muscle - something I haven’t done for years. I have also finally replaced the wheels on my bike, and hope to begin riding soon.

I still have issues with portion control and knowing when “enough is enough”. On the occasions when I “treat” myself, I have been subject to overdoing it a bit. I will need to continually focus to overcome this habit. I am also beginning to work on cutting back caffeine by drinking caffeine-free diet soft drinks and mixing my coffee “50/50″ with decaf. Down the road, I will need to watch my intake of saturated fats to make sure my diet is balanced.

Keep the faith!